Improved communications networks and electronic display technologies have contributed to the adoption of electronic documents as a principle vehicle for exchanging and memorializing information. To create a conventional electronic document, users typically enter alpha-numeric characters—as text—into text input fields of an electronic form, such as an HTML-based or XML-based form. To create traditional electronic documents with pictures, however, users are usually required to import an image from a picture file. Browser-based applications, for example, can be used to create web-based electronic documents by prompting a user to search for a picture file in some sort of file management system (e.g., a hierarchy of folders). Once the user finds the picture file, the associated picture will be imported into the web-based electronic document. While functional, there are certain drawbacks to these techniques for creating electronic documents.
One drawback to importing images into electronic documents is that a user is typically required to perform multiple steps, and, thus, is burdened to know—a priori—the file name, and to expend efforts to search for the picture file. Another drawback is that users typically edit pictures using a separate application in a different window, thereby necessitating a transition from the presentation of the electronic form (e.g., in one window) to a picture editor (e.g., in another window). Often times, later-opened windows that include a picture editor obscure previously-opened windows that include the electronic document. While some current applications use pictures to create printed documents, such as name tags, these applications usually implement static templates that include unmodifiable graphics and text, and can require multiple windows to construct a printed document. A static template can typically be described as an electronic file having a preset, customized format and structure that is used as a starting point for a particular application so that the unmodifiable graphics and text of the template need not be recreated each time it is used. Further, multiple windows can obscure each other, especially when presented on relatively small interfaces, such as those on mobile phones and personal digital assistants (“PDAs”).
It would be desirable to provide improved techniques, systems and devices that minimize one or more of the drawbacks associated with conventional techniques for creating electronic documents.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Note that most of the reference numerals include one or two left-most digits that generally identify the figure that first introduces that reference number.